Country Profiles

Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (NDF)

The Nonproliferation and Disarmament Fund (NDF), provides a means for the U.S. Government to respond rapidly to nonproliferation and disarmament opportunities, circumstances or conditions that are unanticipated or unusually difficult, but of high priority.

Elements for Proposals
Any U.S. Government agency or State Department office can submit project proposals to the NDF. Project proposals contain the following required information:

Project summary;

Mission areas supported, according to Congressional authorization;

Estimated costs;

Alternative funding sources (The NDF generally will not fund projects that can be funded elsewhere);

Related U.S. Government programs and policy initiatives;

Status of diplomatic negotiations and interagency deliberations;

Justification, emphasizing how the proposal advances a specific objective enumerated in the Congressional authorizing legislation;

Discussion of why funding for the proposed project was not included in the appropriate agency's budget request/appropriation;

Proposal elements/details; and

National Security Interest determination (which is necessary if the proposed project will take place outside the former Soviet Union).

NDF Review Panel
The NDF encourages and facilitates input and advice from all State Department Bureaus and U.S. agencies responsible for nonproliferation and disarmament. The NDF Review Panel is the primary mechanism through which the NDF receives advice. The Review Panel's voting members are senior officials from the State Department's Bureaus of International Security and Nonproliferation, Political-Military Affairs, and Arms Control, Verification and Compliance. Additionally, the Review Panel includes representatives from the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Commerce, and Energy; the Office of Management and Budget; the National Security Council; and the Weapons, Intelligence, Nonproliferation, and Arms Control Center. The NDF also frequently calls upon advisors from the affected regional Bureaus within the Department of State, the Departments of Justice and Treasury, and other experts, to assist in evaluating proposed projects.

The panel's primary function is to formally consider project proposals. It then makes recommendations to the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Recommendations can include fully funding a project, funding a project for a different amount than the drafting office or agency requested (sometimes more, sometimes less), deferring a project, or not funding a project. In any case, by law the final decision must be taken by the Under Secretary. Prior to submission of a proposal, drafting offices are required to coordinate the draft proposal with all U.S. Government offices with applicable policy responsibilities. All project proposals must undergo at least a four-step review process:

Working closely with senior U.S. Government officials to ensure that NDF projects support the Administration's policy goals;

When authorized, negotiating agreements on NDF projects with foreign governments;

Ensuring tight management controls over NDF resources and programs;

Overseeing the proposal development and review process;

Serving as the Executive Agent on most projects;

Ensuring proposals and project execution follow and enhance U.S. policy;

Auditing expenditures; and

Evaluating results.

Independent audits by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) or the State Department's Office of the Inspector General are done periodically on key NDF projects.

Authorizing Legislation
The NDF is authorized by Section 504 of the FREEDOM Support Act (P.L. 102-511) and is funded each year by the "Nonproliferation, Anti-terrorism, Demining and Related Programs" (NADR) appropriation in the annual Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Acts.

SEC. 504. NONPROLIFERATION AND DISARMAMENT FUND.

(a) AUTHORIZATION.--The President is authorized to promote bilateral and multilateral nonproliferation and disarmament activities--

(1) by supporting the dismantlement and destruction of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, their delivery systems, and conventional weapons;

(2) by supporting bilateral and multilateral efforts to halt the proliferation of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons, their delivery systems, related technologies, and other weapons, including activities such as--

(A) the storage, transportation, and safeguarding of such weapons, and

(B) the purchase, barter, or other acquisition of such weapons or materials derived from such weapons;

(3) by establishing programs for safeguarding against the proliferation of nuclear, biological, chemical, and other weapons of the independent states of the former Soviet Union;

(4) by establishing programs for preventing diversion of weapons-related scientific and technical expertise of the independent states to terrorist groups or to third countries;

(5) by establishing science and technology centers in the independent states for the purpose of engaging weapons scientists and engineers of the independent states (in particular those who were previously involved in the design and production of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons) in productive, nonmilitary undertakings; and

(6) by establishing programs for facilitating the conversion of military technologies and capabilities and defense industries of the former Soviet Union into civilian activities."

Operation
The FREEDOM Support Act authorized the President to establish the NDF. The President delegated that authority to the Secretary of State, who redelegated the authority to the Under Secretary of State for International Security Affairs (subsequently renamed the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security). NDF funds are "no-year" (funds need not be expended in the fiscal year in which they are appropriated) to permit maximum flexibility in project execution and may be made available "notwithstanding any other provision of law."

For information about the Office that administers the NDF and past projects, click HERE

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Sign-in

Do you already have an account on one of these sites? Click the logo to sign in and create your own customized State Department page. Want to learn more? Check out our FAQ!

Because JavaScript is disabled, you can only sign in by entering your OpenID URL manually: